


Lost & Found

by CaliforniaQueen



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And he's super bummed out, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben is willing, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Guilt, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mistaken Identity, One Night Stands, One Shot, Rey Kenobi, Rey is horny, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sex, She's had a rough day ok, Wakes & Funerals, because alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:14:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23696014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaliforniaQueen/pseuds/CaliforniaQueen
Summary: Rey Kenobi is just out of college. Her grandfather’s close friends, the Solos, took over tuition payments after Grandfather Ben died. She had intended on visiting to meet the Solo family and thank them after graduation, but ends up having to meet them at Han’s memorial instead.Ben is having difficulty dealing with his estrangement from his father when he died. He is consumed with guilt for how he treated his father and for never being able to say goodbye.The day before the memorial, he and Rey bump into each other on the street. Each of them looking for a connection in a sad situation, they spend the night together, and he leaves without saying goodbye.When they see each other at the memorial the next day, they find they are more connected than they thought and Rey shows him the power of forgiveness
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 21
Kudos: 88





	Lost & Found

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @rosyjaimie for the beta! xoxo  
> Based on this tweet:  
> https://twitter.com/thephantommaelo/status/1248296413500510208?s=21

  
Rey Kenobi hated New York City. She hated the noise, the crush of humanity, and the ability to get hopelessly lost in a two block radius. She had arrived at the bus station an hour earlier, and had been reassured her hotel was an “Easy walk. Just a couple blocks up and a few over.” Now she was lost. Tired and lost. Cranky and tired and lost. With sore feet, a phone at 1%, no charger, and not enough money for a cab considering she would need one to get to her destination the next day. She was on an extremely tight budget and lord knew any spare cash she had would need to be invested in a stiff drink at the end of this day. She felt ready to cry as she passed by the glossy office building that she could have sworn she’d passed twice already. She looked up and back at the street sign on the corner. She took a steadying breath, only shuddering a bit, and prepared to look for a nice elderly person to ask for directions when she heard a deep, warm voice ask, “Are you lost, sweetheart?”

* * *

He wasn’t supposed to be at the office today. He knew it. Everyone from administration down to the guard at the security desk knew it. He had been out for a few days. Ever since it happened. But Ben Solo couldn’t just sit at home anymore and wait around while his mother and uncle fussed over the last minute details of his father’s memorial service. Work was what he did best. His family? Not so much. So he had stuck to his usual schedule, and headed into the office only to be met with pitiful looks of sympathy and mumbled condolences from awkward colleagues who he never really made time for on a good day. Perfect. Now he could add guilt to the range of emotions coursing through him. 

By lunchtime, Mr. Pryde, the department head, told him he needed to take the rest of the day off and “No, you may not just stay.” So, he was left with an entire afternoon to kill. Not wanting to go home, he thought he would set off for a walk and see where the rest of the day took him when he saw _her_. 

She stood in the middle of the sidewalk, gaping up at his office building and back down at her phone, looking frustrated and on the verge of tears. She was stunning in a simple ensemble of jeans and a white tee paired with a navy blazer. Sunglasses were perched on the top of her chestnut hair which fell in soft waves to her chin. His interest piqued, he moved closer and leaned in towards her. 

“Are you lost, sweetheart?”

_Jesus. Sweetheart?_ Now he sounded just like his dad. He’d be lucky if she didn’t give him a dressing down for being a creep. He frantically backpedaled in his head thinking of a way he could get out of the situation without a kick in the balls. As he opened his mouth to apologize, she surprised him by giving him the sexiest damn smile he’d ever seen.

* * *

Her eyes widened and then darkened as she looked him up and down, taking in the sight of his tailored suit and dangerous air. He was tall. Massive in fact. Dark wavy hair that begged to be pulled, bedroom eyes, and a scruff of a beard that she could imagine scratching up her inner thighs. She let out a giggle at the thought. Rey admitted to herself that she was an absolute idiot, but she was a sucker for an expensive suit. _What the hell?_ she thought. He looked like he could provide a distraction from her crappy day, especially given the fact that she was in for an even crappier day tomorrow. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lower lip as she quirked her eyebrow, and smirked.

“Looks like now I’m found.” She said in a husky voice. She laughed when she saw his eyes widen in surprise. “Well, what did you expect after a line like that?”

Ben relaxed and laughed with her. He liked her sense of humor. Maybe he hadn’t blown it completely. He could use a bit of a laugh. 

“Seriously, do you need help?” he asked her.

“I do, actually. The bus driver told me that my hotel was just ‘a few blocks up and a few over’ and now an hour later, here I am.”

Been laughed again at her exaggerated New York City bus driver accent which was a startling contrast from her crisp British one. She showed him the name of the hotel on her phone, right before the screen went black. 

“Shit,” she exclaimed. “And that’s that. I hope you caught the name because I forgot a charger for this thing.”

“I did,” Ben smiled at her. “I know where it is,” he said. “It really is just a couple blocks up and a few over.” He laughed then at the look on her face. She must have been walking for a while. “Come on, I’ll get us a cab and we can stop for a drink.” He ran his hand through his hair nervously, second-guessing his audacity. He never was so forward with women. His brain was really just a pile of mush right now.

“I mean...If you like,” he tacked on in an attempt to save face in case she screamed and ran in the opposite direction.

“Ugh, I would love a drink,” she said with a grin, showing off a perfect set of teeth and a dimple in her cheek. Ben had the overwhelming urge to give her a kiss right on that dimple and cuddle her in front of a cozy fire. Jesus, he needed a nap. 

“Great! I’m...Ren,” he held out his hand to her. _Ren? What am I doing giving her a fake name?_

“You mean like in _Footloose_?” she said, eyeing him questioningly.

“Uh...sure,” he said. “Like in _Footloose_.”

“I’m Kira,” she lied, accepting his handshake. If he was going to give her an obviously fake name, she’d play along and do the same. _Kind of a turn on, actually,_ she thought. 

“It’s a pleasure, Kira.” He shook her hand, picked up her suitcase, and hailed a taxi.

* * *

“So, that’s about it. Grandad passed a year ago and I just graduated so I’m here to see his friends who helped finance my education. To say thanks,” Rey was just finishing her third drink and was really beginning to relax. It felt so good after the stress of the day. 

The bar in the hotel was quiet, only three or four patrons nursing beer and zoning out on whatever midweek sporting event was broadcast on the lone television perched above the glass mirror behind the bar. It was still too early for the after work crowd to really filter in, so they hadn’t had to wait long for their drinks. This made it very possible that Rey would decide to partake in what she liked to call her No Pants Dance. She could admit it, even in her drunken haze. She was horny and wanted to ride this man into the sunset. She snorted into the last bit of her drink, dismissing Ben’s confused look with a shake of her head. 

They had been talking about the bare minimum while not revealing too many details of their lives. Age, occupation, the weather, New York. Rey had only mentioned her grandfather to try and answer the question of why she was in town. No point in being a buzz kill and telling him why she was really here. Especially if this was just going to be a one night thing, which, with every subsequent drink Rey found herself wanting more and more. She just wasn’t sure if _he_ did. He definitely had not been responding to her signals—her soft touches of his hand, gentle smiles, and giggles at his jokes. She really just wanted to peel the layers of that expensive suit off of him and tackle him to the ground. She was afraid she would just have to be direct with him. It wasn’t something she usually did, but three drinks in on an empty stomach had left her feeling a little adventurous. 

“Well, I, for one, am ready for bed.” She hopped off the bar stool, grabbed her purse, and extended the handle on her suitcase. After walking a couple steps she turned back to him and smiled. “Are you coming?”

* * *

He had never done anything like this before. Every sexual encounter he had ever had had been in a relationship, after numerous dates and getting to know each other well. Now Ben found himself in a hallway outside a hotel room with a stranger—a very intense, beautiful, sexy stranger. And he was scared to death. He was also hard as a rock and make-some-mistakes level drunk. When she opened her door, she immediately threw everything aside and pulled him in by his tie, slamming the door shut and reaching for him. 

Tilting her head up to him and reaching up with her other hand, Rey pulled him down and kissed him, her soft mouth moving over his in a slow, languid pace. She savored the flavor of the whiskey on his lips and the feel of his tongue slipping into her mouth. She moaned as his kiss deepened, setting off a fire deep inside her belly that she hadn’t felt in a while. It had been a long time since she had been with anyone, and she ached to go crazy with this stranger. This man did something to her just with a look in his eyes. He was insanely attractive and as she ran her hands up the front of his chest, she realized the rest of him was insane too. 

“Oh god, you feel amazing. Do you work out?” she asked stupidly.

“What?” Ben was dizzy with the feel of her kiss, her hands on him making him want to throw her down on the floor and give her as much as she could take and more. What was she asking him? What were words?

“Nothing. Never mind,” she said, pulling him closer to her again. She frantically worked the knot on his tie loose and began unbuttoning his shirt, forgetting about her previous thought of slowly peeling his layers off of him. She wanted what he had to give her, and she wanted it now. 

Ben shrugged off his jacket and shirt, exposing his toned chest and abdomen. Rey groaned and gripped the waistband of his pants, pulling him flush with her. She moaned aloud when her breasts came into contact with his hard chest and she was extremely disappointed that she was still covered. The idea of her hard nipples brushing up against his smooth chest made her tighten in another wave of arousal. She bent down and touched her tongue to his belly, slowly drawing it up over his taut stomach to his nipple, swirling around until it pebbled under the heat of her mouth. Flicking it with the tip of her tongue, she moved on to his other nipple, feeling the vibration of his moan and the thrill of his hands running through her hair. 

Still grasping his waistband, Rey moved backwards, pulled him to the bed and sat on the mattress in front of him. Looking him in the eye, she removed her jacket and shirt. She reached toward him, grasping his hands and pulling them around her, hoping he’d get the clue and take her bra off so she could feel him pressed up against her. She was already so wet and he hadn’t even touched her skin yet. Something about the alcohol, the bewildered look in his eyes and the size of him made Rey want to control him—to make this a night he’d dream about for a long time. 

Ben leaned forward and kissed her, following her lead and unhooking her bra. He gasped in surprise when she brought his hands to cup her breasts, moaning into his mouth and reaching forward to unbuckle his belt. He was a bundle of heated nerves. He had never been with anyone, ever, who was as bold as this woman. Was bold even the right word? Whatever it was, it was new, and it was hot. He was desperate to touch her everywhere and to have her return the favor. 

Rey managed to unbuckle his belt and unfasten his pants before she stood and turned him around. She pushed him down onto the bed and pulled his pants off of him like an illusionist finishing a trick with a flourish. Ben watched as she turned around and rummaged through her purse, coming back with a foil wrapper in her hand. She pulled her jeans and underwear off in one swift motion and began to move toward him. Reaching up, she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxers, stopping to look him in the eyes. 

“Yes?” she asked, with a sinful gleam in her eye that made him dizzy. She was going to kill him.

“Yes,” he responded breathlessly. She gently pulled them down, watching as he sprang free. 

“Holy shit,” Rey said. 

Ben could feel himself blush. One of the reasons he had only had a few partners was because of his size. He never wanted to get close to anyone because he was afraid he would hurt them. The way she looked at him, though, told him she wasn’t afraid. 

“I hope this fits,” she said, ripping the condom wrapper open with her teeth. Still feeling the effects of the alcohol, she giggled as she had a thought. 

“Wanna see what I can do?” 

“I...uh...ok?” Honestly Ben had no idea where this was going. Part of him was more excited than he had ever been and afraid if she actually touched him he would explode on the spot. Another part was afraid she was going to stab him to death and take his wallet. He watched as she took the condom, put it in her mouth, and proceeded to grasp him in her hand and roll the condom down as far as she could get him inside her mouth. 

Ben decided then and there he’d be ok with anything after that. 

“That was...impressive,” he panted, trying to keep some semblance of control. 

“Baby,” Rey said as she straddled him, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

* * *

It was some time later when Ben woke up—thirsty, disoriented, and confused by the sound of light snoring. He attempted to move, but stopped when he realized he was effectively pinned by a soft, warm body draped over his torso. 

Kira

The memories flooded back in a rush that made his cheeks hot. Kira straddling him and pinning his arms over his head as she teased her first orgasm of the night out of her body, using him as he’d never been used before. Kira bending over the bed, letting him take control and urging him on with compliments and begging him to go “harder, faster.” And finally a slow and unhurried session peppered with soft sighs and deep kisses. Ben was no innocent, but it had certainly been the wildest and most active night he had ever spent with a woman in his life. She wasn’t scared of him at all—she had made that perfectly clear. She was amazing and...he knew he had to stop thinking about it or he’d never leave. 

Looking down at her sleeping form, he felt a flutter in his belly that had nothing to do with desire. She was a breath of fresh air in the light of day. Funny, charming, and intelligent. Seeing her relaxed in sleep, she was so soft and beautiful, Ben wanted to hold her until the light came in through the curtains, take her to breakfast, a movie, dinner, anything she could possibly want. 

The thought terrified him. 

He knew it had been a mistake. He had lied to her about his name for starters. And he never had one night stands. Now he had no idea how to get out of the situation tactfully. He was a coward and an asshole. He knew it. It was one of the reasons he had never been able to reconcile with his father. 

His father. The memorial. Shit. Ben craned his neck to look at the clock on the table. Seven am. The memorial was scheduled to begin at ten. He needed to get home and get ready. 

He gritted his teeth and slowly slid out from underneath Kira, as gently as he could to avoid waking her. The last thing he needed today was a confrontation. He eyed the dimly lit room spying pieces of clothing strewn about haphazardly, victims of their haste to touch each other. The memories came to him again and he groaned inwardly, and he was torn between wanting to kiss her awake and needing to leave. Slipping his shoes on and draping his jacket over his arm, he took one last look at her before quietly leaving the woman he would most likely never see again, but would remember forever. 

* * *

Rey’s internal clock had never really gotten used to sleeping past 8 a.m., no matter where she found herself crashing for the night. That morning was no different as her eyes popped open and she sat up, brushing her hair from her face and yawning. She took a minute to orient herself before she realized something was off. 

She was alone. 

“Um...hello?” she called out, waiting for the answer she knew deep down she wouldn’t get. “Ren?” Nothing. She flopped back onto the bed. Rey knew whatever they had had the night before wasn’t anything more than a one night stand, an incredible one night stand, the best night she had ever spent with a man if she was really being honest, but a one night stand nonetheless. She knew that. But there was a part deep down that was incredibly disappointed, and more than a little hurt.

“Well, shit,” she huffed, swinging her legs out of bed. Ignoring her oddly located aches and twinges, she made her way to the bathroom to get ready for what would undoubtedly be a completely shitty day.

The time on the clock in the foyer of the funeral home read 9:45 when Rey strode through the open double doors. She had been afraid she would be late and tipped the cab driver her last bit of loose cash in advance to get there as quickly as he could. She hoped she had time to speak to Leia and Luke before Han’s services began. Scanning the crowd she noticed him standing alone by a lone fake ficus tree and an uncomfortable looking arm chair. Dressed in a dark navy suit and striped tie, his almost too long hair stylishly tousled, he elicited a physical reaction from her that was a little unexpected, but not unpleasant. 

They locked eyes across the foyer of the funeral home. Mirrored shock on each of their faces turned for him to worry and for her to irritation. Rey felt her face burning as she walked quickly toward him, grabbing the sleeve of his suit jacket and pulling him over to the side of the room, out of earshot of the nearest person. 

“What the hell are you doing here? What is going on? Are you following me?” she asked in a low voice, trying to control her irritation. “I mean, bailing on me when I was sleeping was kind of low, but whatever, this is stalker level weirdness and I don’t have a problem calling the cops. I don’t care how good in bed you are.”

Ben was at a loss for words. He was so embarrassed his ears were burning and he had no idea what to say. What was _he_ doing here? What the hell was _she_ doing here? He hadn’t been able to get a word in during her little tirade to ask her, and he could see his mother moving towards them quickly. Ben opened his mouth to shush Kira, until he heard his mother greeting her.

_Her_...and not him. 

“Rey! Oh Rey, sweetheart, thank you so much for coming. I see you’ve finally met Ben.” Leia enveloped Rey in a warm hug, pulling back only to dab at her eyes with a linen handkerchief and to pinch Rey’s cheek. Rey quickly masked the shock on her face with a warm smile at the woman her grandfather had lovingly referred to as ‘princess’.

“Leia, I’m so very sorry for your loss.” She glanced nervously at Ben, and back at Leia. “B-Ben? Um...Ben...and I were just getting acquainted, weren’t we?” she looked at Ben, eyes wide and pleading as she realized what was happening and he nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah,” he replied quietly, looking to Rey as confused and as mortified as she felt. _This_ was the son of her benefactors-her grandfather’s best friends? _This_ was the man they had _named_ after her grandfather? This was the man that last night she had so thoroughly f...

“Ben, honey, it’s almost time.” Leia’s raspy voice interrupted Rey’s wandering thoughts. “Rey, please join us in the family pew, darling. And let’s talk after.”

“Of course,” Rey answered, smiling brightly at Leia. Ben could feel his cheeks burning when he thought of how she had smiled at him like that the day before...and later how the smile had changed. 

He cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me,” in an attempt to go, but Rey placed her hand on his arm. 

“In a moment Ben. Leia, we’ll be right there.”

Leia nodded and smiled, leaving the two alone once more. 

“Ben? _You’re_ Ben? So...not Ren. Clever.” Rey looked him up and down, trying hard not to pause anywhere below the waist for too long. She had to admit though, it was a little satisfying watching him squirm. 

“I’m really sorry, K...uh...Rey,” Ben looked incredibly embarrassed and couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I had no idea who you were.”

Rey sighed and shrugged. “Somehow that makes me feel better,” Rey said, “although it probably shouldn’t. I suppose I should apologize to you. I wasn’t exactly truthful about myself either. And I had no idea you were Han’s son, although it’s pretty obvious now. I feel stupid.”

Involuntarily cringing at her mention of his father’s name, Ben instinctively placed his hand on her bare arm. Both of them gasped at the unexpected contact. Rey’s eyes darkened and Ben snatched his hand away as if he had been burned. 

“Don’t. I didn’t know who you were. I promise. This wasn’t some sort of weird stalker thing. I mean, I only knew you from pictures of you and your grandpa Ben from when you were a kid. How was I supposed to know?” He ran his hand through his hair, making Rey flush with the memory of what it felt like to run her own hands through his hair while he placed kisses all over her. She cleared her throat and refocused on what he was saying.

“And what I did was wrong. I took advantage of you, and then I bailed, like you said. And for that I am sorry.”

“Took advantage of me?” Rey returned with a laugh. “Ben, I’m a grown adult who wanted it just as much as you did. Don’t be silly. I’m more irritated about you leaving so soon without a note or a goodbye, but that’s neither here nor there now I suppose. I get it. You’ve got a lot on your plate. I can be an adult about it.”

His eyes widened in surprise at her declaration as they were interrupted by the music playing from the chapel announcing the beginning of the service. 

“Maybe we should talk about this later,” Rey whispered. 

Ben nodded in agreement and turned to walk toward the chapel when all of a sudden he stopped and looked at Rey. She was so lovely in a dove gray column dress with a matching jacket, her hair curling softly, framing her face. She smiled at him then, blushing and looking down at her shoes. She looked like an angel spreading light and comfort wherever she went. It was a stark contrast to the devil he had been introduced to the night before and yet right at that moment he felt more relaxed in her presence than he had in the past week since this whole nightmare began. Maybe this was life finally giving him a break, a second chance of sorts. He needed to somehow show her he wasn’t a colossal douchebag who regularly pulled the ‘hit it and quit it’ routine. Most of all he needed an anchor to hold him steady through the next hour and he hoped she wouldn’t mind serving that purpose for him. Holding out his hand to her he quietly asked, “Will you join me?”

She nodded and linked her arm in his, patting his hand in a comforting gesture. 

“Of course.” 

He led her to the pew where they both sat and waited for the memorial to begin. 

* * *

It had been hard to watch Ben give a eulogy for his father. She only knew the family from letters and stories from grandad. But the one constant about Ben was his shyness, and his lack of emotion. Ben was always the calm one, the one who was reserved, the one who held back. Even only knowing him the short time she did, she had seen how he held back, how scared he seemed to open himself up to anyone. So seeing him bare his soul and share so much with this group of people about his relationship with his father, considering how they had been estranged when Han passed, was heartbreaking. Upon returning to his seat in between Leia and Rey, Ben seemed to shrink into himself and Rey’s heart went out to him. She reached out her hand and timidly touched his, tears pricking her eyes when he grabbed and squeezed hers in return, not letting go. He took a deep breath and seemed to regain control a bit as his uncle, Luke Skywalker, delivered the sermon that would wrap up the memorial.

Listening to Luke speak reminded Rey so much of her grandfather that she had to steel herself through the wave of sadness passing over her. She could empathize with Ben, the pain of losing her grandfather still so fresh. It helped to see Luke and Leia, who had known grandad for many years. He had been best friends with their father. They had studied together in the seminary. Then much later, after a falling out with their father Anakin, and after his passing, when Luke was studying to be a minister, grandad had assisted him in his education and worked alongside him in the church. They had all formed a bond that was as close as family. Grandad had always been so proud of Luke, Han, and Leia. He spoke of them as if they were his own children, and had even officiated at Han and Leia's wedding. To Rey, the Skywalkers and Solos had always been family, their constant letters a treat to read out loud to grandad when his eyesight started to fail. Then, when he was gone, the entire family had stepped up to help pay for her education, continuing the tradition of writing monthly letters and sending care packages and well wishes. They had occasionally mentioned Ben in these letters, seeing as how they had named him after grandad, but never a photograph. At least not one she had ever seen. It seemed ironic that he would be the first person she would meet upon her arrival. They would definitely have some talking to do much later. But she could sense a shift in the air. A change. She knew now that leaving without getting to know Ben would be painful. She was alone. Ben’s family was the only family she had left. She had grown to love them as her own at least. And Rey wanted Ben to know, in a way, that the love for their family extended to him as well, or at least friendship, if he was willing to accept it. 

Luke finished his sermon and guests began to file out of the chapel. Leia squeezed Ben’s shoulder and made eye contact with Rey over his head. Rey nodded in reassurance, silently letting Leia know that she would stay with him. Leia nodded in return, glanced down at their clasped hands, and smiled softly, letting Luke lead her into the reception hall. As the last of the mourners had left, Rey and Ben were the only ones still seated in the quiet room. Rey was startled as Ben released her hand, and with a shuddering sob, covered his face with both hands, hanging his head and crying. Rey reached out and rubbed his back, in an attempt to sooth him. She knew that until he was ready, nothing she could say would make any difference at the moment. So she let him cry until he had quieted down, his shoulders shuddering with one last sob.

“Feel any better?” Rey asked, passing him an embroidered handkerchief.

“A little worn out, but yeah, I guess.” He looked down at the handkerchief, a large S embroidered in blue in the corner. “What’s the S stand for?”

“Satine. It was my grandmother’s name. She passed before I was born, but grandad kept all her things for me.” Rey smiled fondly and Ben noticed how her eyes softened when she spoke of her grandfather. They were a lovely hazel green. He handed the handkerchief back to her and smiled as her eyes met his. Ben paused before he spoke again, turning to stare straight ahead. 

“I wasn’t there when he died.”

“Oh?” Rey quietly asked, not wanting to push.

“We had a really bad argument about two months ago,” Ben said. “The last thing I said to him was...that he...that I didn’t want to be like him. That he was a disappointment. I told him I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I wanted to apologize, but then…” he took a deep breath and let it out, swiping his hand across his face and brushing his hair back, “everything just happened so fast.”

“Ben, I’m sure he forgave you. That’s what parents do. They forgive their children. Grandad always used to say that who you were doesn’t have to define who you are. I believe that extends to parents and children too. Just because you did or said one bad thing, it doesn’t make you a bad person. Give yourself a break.” 

“I don’t deserve his forgiveness. I don’t deserve it from him or from you. I can’t take it back. I can’t go back.” 

“I know more about you than you think, Ben. The stories I heard about you from your father, and how much he loved you, only further my belief that he would have forgiven you anything. Because that’s what grace is, Ben. It’s forgiving without expecting anything in return. It’s being forgiven, even if you don’t believe you deserve it. You need to give grace to yourself, Ben. It’s the only way you’ll be able to move on. Forgive yourself. Even if you think you don’t deserve it.” She brought her hand up to caress his cheek, wiping away tears in the process. 

Reaching up to take her hand, he turned and placed a kiss in the center of her palm. Rey’s heart began to race and her stomach flipped with a feeling she couldn’t quite describe. 

“Rey, will you...stay with me? I mean, through the rest of this today? All these people...I don’t know if I can do it alone.” 

The look in his eyes broke her heart. He looked so tired, bone tired, as if it had been ages since he’d gotten any rest. Squeezing his hand that was still holding hers, she kissed his cheek softly and whispered, “If you think I’m gonna let you skip out on me twice, you’re mistaken.”

* * *

**TWO YEARS LATER**

Ben walked into the dimly lit restaurant, tired from a long day of work. Scanning the crowd at the bar, he spotted a woman with her back to him. Chestnut hair curling past her shoulders brushed the sleeves of her emerald green sundress. He could see her fiddling absentmindedly with a glass of water, tracing the condensation idly and occasionally glancing around as if trying to locate something, or someone. 

He strode purposely up to the woman, leaning toward her to whisper in her ear, “Are you lost, sweetheart?”

She sighed and turned around to face him. Eyeing him up and down, she quirked an eyebrow. “Looks like now I’m found.”

Rey smirked at him before breaking into a full grin, showing off her dimple that he loved so much. Hey bent down to plant a soft kiss on her upturned mouth, breathing a soft, “Hi” as punctuation. 

“Hi, yourself. How was your day?”

“Better now. How are you? How’s Hannah banana?” He rubbed his hand over Rey’s swollen belly, feeling the gentle roll and kick of his child, a rush of love overwhelming him. 

“She’s just fine. I, however, am famished. Mum’s already got our table. Are you ready?”

“Yep.” He helped Rey off the bar stool and took her hand in his, stopping to bring it up to his face and kiss her palm. “Happy anniversary, sweetheart.” 

“Happy anniversary, Ben.”

As he guided Rey to their table where Leia waited, Ben felt so thankful to his father for inadvertently bringing her to him. He would always consider Rey to be the embodiment of his father's forgiveness. And for Hannah Grace, his father’s namesake, who he couldn’t wait to pamper and spoil. And he was thankful that the joy that he had lost was finally found.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @driversputa on Twitter for the beautiful moodboard and the idea to name their baby Hannah. Go read her twitfic "The Lunch Thief." You won't regret it!


End file.
